The relics of Saint Anne from Koutloumousiou Monastery will be brought to Romania for the first time and placed for veneration at the New “Saint George” Church in Bucharest from 5 to 10 September.
A delegation from Mount Athos, comprising five monks, will arrive at Henri Coandă International Airport in Otopeni at around 3:00 pm on Saturday, 5 September. The reliquary will subsequently be taken to the church in central Bucharest.
Father Emil Nedelea Cărămizaru, parish priest of the New “Saint George” Church, made the announcement on Facebook. He said bringing Saint Anne’s relics from Koutloumousiou Monastery is to honour the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs and Saint Maria Brâncoveanu, the church’s patrons and founders.
“A historic and spiritual event of great importance, in which we are all called to take part, as a gift for the soul,” the priest emphasised.
The full programme of events at the New “Saint George” Church in Bucharest will be announced later.
Saint Anne’s relics on Mount Athos
The relics of Saint Anne were brought from the Holy Land to Constantinople in 710 and were kept there for a time. Tradition records that Emperor Justinian the Great built a church in Constantinople dedicated to Saint Anne and that Emperor Justinian II subsequently restored the church and placed the saint’s relics and one of her garments there.
Several particles of Saint Anne’s relics are preserved on Mount Athos. Koutloumousiou Monastery holds the saint’s entire right foot; the Skete of Saint Anne preserves the lower part of her left foot; and Stavronikita Monastery holds Saint Anne’s hand.
The Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Antioch also preserve portions of her relics, as does Kykkos Monastery in Cyprus, as well as Bologna, Italy.
Saint Anne, the mother of the Theotokos and the grandmother, according to the flesh, of our Saviour Jesus Christ, is particularly venerated by families who pray for the gift of children and for the protection of motherhood.
Photo: Facebook / Emil Nedelea Cărămizaru
